


Of Broken Barrels

by Jathis



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Forgiveness, Friendship, Gen, Genderfluid Character, Laundry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22149403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: Belle and Stanley talk about washing machines
Comments: 13
Kudos: 8





	Of Broken Barrels

She had gone out to read in the sunshine when she spotted Stanley by the well used for the wash. Belle blinked, frowning a little as they avoided the barrel and soap flakes she had left out, using a separate washing tub over a flame to wash their things in. They held a pole in their hands, using it to push the clothes around the hot water, swirling it around. “You know that you are always welcome to use the washing machine if you need to,” Belle said.

Stanley flinched and nearly dropped the pole, fumbling with it before getting a proper hold on it. “Princesse! Ah…” They blushed, looking from the machine Belle had made to their own tub. “I am used to doing it this way!” they offered.

“Here, I’ll show you,” she kindly offered. The book was slipped into one of the pockets of her skirt and she walked up to them, smiling as she brought the modified barrel over to their side. “Here! You just put the clothes in first and then the soap and then…”

“It’s really alright,” Stanley said, shaking their head as their face turned red in embarrassment. “I can just keep doing it like this and…”

“And I’ve even come up with a weight system so we don’t always have to use an animal to pull! See, you put the weights here and then it pulls on the line and moves down the little grooved path I had made to make sure it doesn’t roll out of place!” Belle explained, pointing to each piece of her invention. “It’s simple really.” She blinked as Stanley mumbled something, tilting her head to the side. “Hm?”

“...I don’t want to end up breaking it again,” Stanley repeated a little louder. They stared down at their feet, unable to meet the young woman’s gaze as they crossed their arms over their chest.

Her eyes softened at that. “Stanley…” Belle reached out, placing a hand on their arm, making them lift their head up slightly to look at her. “Is that what this is about?”

“Perhaps…” they murmured.

She laughed, shaking her head. “Stanley, are you aware that I’ve been working at the Headmaster on coming up with a curriculum for the children?”

They blinked at that, looking at her in surprise. “Non, he is?”

“Oui,” she said with a nod. “He’s become a much softer man since his daughter changed back from being a tray. If I remember correctly...he was the one who gave the order to break it, didn’t he?”

“Oui, but I still could have..!”

She shook her head. “Things happen. You can’t always look back. Moving forward is the only way we should be moving. It’s in the past and doesn’t mean anything anymore, I assure you.”

Stanley blushed, fidgeting with their scarf. “Do you mean it?”

“Of course.”

They hesitated a moment and then shyly gestured at the barrel. “Will you show me again how to use it?” they asked.

Belle smiled and nodded, showing them the process once more.


End file.
